The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-02
DEVOTED TO HIS FIDDLE

A traveller in the Mississippi river bottoms came upon small log house, situated at a place where COW path crossed that great commercial artery, the country road. The traveller hay ing ridden many miles without seeing human habitation, quickly dis mounted, and, just as he entered the door. the scrceching notes of fiddle greeted him. Tho merchant was seated on a box. He had just eaten his din- ner, il seemed, for fragments of bacon and corn bread were scattered on an- other box beside him, and had taken up his violin, one might naturally suppose, to aid digestion by means of gentle exercise.
 "llow are youg" said the visitor, The merchant, without changing his eyes from that blank gaze which all river bottom fiddlcrs assume, contin- ucd to rake his high sounding strings. The visitor, muttering that he could wait until the tune was finished. sat down The merchant threw morn life into his violin recital and patted his foot with such vigor that the corn bread crumbs danced on the box. After awhile the merchant stopped to twist the keys of his violin and the visitor. thus encouraged, said:
 'l sce you have some herrihgs and sardines. would like to buy some"
 The merchant. having finished screwing up his keys, began il violent rendition of "Niggcr on the Wood pile"
 "Say, my friend, do you keep this store?"
 Cha. chai, chow, chick CT chum tit CT cha.
 The would-be customer waited at least half hour longer, and then, as the merchant stopped to wipe the per spiration from his face, said: If you even't got enough enterprise 10 at tend to your business why don't you hire some"
 Cha, chow, chick tum CT chick, tum CT cha, cha, cha.
 You are the most peculiar business man ever saw"
 Cha, cha, cha.
 And If you don't wait on me I'll go on and find somebody that will"
 Chick tum CT cha, cha.
 "You are the blamcdcst fool ever saw"
 Cha, cha.
 Well, I'm going"
 The merchant put down his fiddle, wiped his face and said: "llow air you, sah!"
 "Iow am I! This is pretty time of day 10 ask how l am when have been sitting here at least m hour"
 Wall, has anything been hurtin' youl"
 No, but l wanted to buy some thing. Why didn't you wait on mei"
 Didn't you sec that ] was busyf"
 "f saw that you were rss:aS .hat old fiddle"
 Didn't see me losin' much time, did you!"
 No"
 Wall, then, was busy. Mister" the merchant impressively continued, do you expect n man to give up all the enjoyment he's got in this world merely to sell few sardiDcs All sichi Do you come down here expectin' to find keepers of commercial emporiums sich slaves that they'll throw down happiness at yorc beck an call! Ef you have, you've simply tuck the wrong fork of the road. When my time for fiddlin' comes Pm goin' to fiddle, an it wouldn make no dif- fruncc if the gov'Ber of the state was to come in an ask fur sardines an sicb, wy, I'd jcs keep on fddliR, that's all. If the folks throughout the country would fiddle more ar worry less, they'd be heep better off Want that truck n0w?"
 No, can wait until l get to q moro civilized place."
 All right; jest suit yorc own pleas ure about that. Sorry you struck me right In my fddlin' time, for allus like to accommodate man but duty Is duty. Thar's another store about six miles rum here"
 Has the owner of the place got a fiddler"
 .Yes, an one that you can hear squeal a quarter of a mile"
 "Well. if that's the case, you'd bet ter give me some ssrdines and her rings.7